Hi Guys,
I've read somewhere, maybe here, about problems with turntables seizing up because of old solidified grease that turns to something more like cement over time.

I was advised by an old sound guy that using two stroke oil can be used not to free it up, but to mix with the remaining grease around whatever joint was seized.

I've not seen anything about this anywhere else on the internet,
but did try it, and it does appear to work so far.
In my case there was some good grease surrounding a
pivot joint where a long shaft goes through a long bore hole.
Maybe this is because the oil either does or does not mix with the grease?

In my case it's a reel to reel tape machine with solenoids that close it's capstan roller electronically when you press play.

In my case, if it's something that doesn't work out longer term,
they are big parts that I can always redo again.

I have been the one pushing the barrow on grease. This to point out that as we deal with aging and often previously abandoned mechanical parts, the lubricants all so fail over time and grease soaps once the oily part is lost can solidify.

CASA also some time ago was getting into those who mixed grease. This is not good practice as different companies can use different chemicals to get the specs. and mixing brands can cause them to actually loose lubricating properties, by chemically reacting. Calcium based grease is normally used where food is concerned (human or animal) as Lithium base is toxic and if mixed Lithium & Bentone type grease's are not compatible & may solidify.

Two stroke has petrol as a solvent and it will leave the oil in it behind to act as a lubricant. WD40 & CRC may be less of an explosion risk. Circuit board cleaner also removes oil & some grease, as does turps & kerosene ( jet fuel is a kerosene)

To avoid issues, all old grease should be removed, That also applies to wheel bearings on cars & trailers, where the old grease will also contain "fretted" metal from the bearings.

I had a Teac A3340S with that exact same issue but I sent it away to be repaired as everything had to be taken out to get to the pinch roller solenoid and I couldn't be bothered disassembling it! Same issue though, frozen lubricant.

I've not heard the two stroke thing before, I suppose it softens the old grease and then the petrol component will probably evaporate.

I bought an old Dual changer that was frozen solid with grease not too long ago. Nothing would get this thing to budge. After a read around I heard that petrol was a sure thing for dissolving old solidified grease. I felt like I wanted it to be a last resort as I've heard it can be a bit nasty with plastics and rubber. Luckily, a good drenching of WD40 seemed to do the trick this time. Smacked the platter pretty solidly a couple of times and it came loose. The grease had caked on pretty well, like another layer of solid metal. I used more WD40 to wash all the old crap off and it was good as new.

Likewise with an old Garrard single player I got a while back, the arm ball bearing grease had turned to a vaseline type crud, the Garrards are particularly famous for this. The WD40 melted the old grease away and I was able to replace it with something more appropriate.

According to its MSDS, WD40 is up to 50% turps and up to 25% a compound known, among other names, as Adriatic spindle oil -- which I think resonates nicely with freeing up turntables.

Adriatic spindle oil is actually a heavy paraffin oil with many components, some of which would act as solvents as well.

Funny you mentioned the Teac Damien, it happens to be a
Teac A-2340 that I'm dealing with, and I'll bet you had the same
problem where the roller would not close over the capstan
roller when you pushed play?

Image Link

So long as the part of the capstan roller that sticks out the front
is not too corroded, the whole assembly is actually a cinch to remove and clean.
As I got it though, the roller supposed to be moved with an electric solenoid
I could hardly budge with my hands,
so I do understand that the grease can become a problem.

Good as gold now anyways, and with this one, always easy to redo later on.

The auto stop level is missing int his picture, that's another story..
I gave up on the auto stop and bolted it on later as a tape guide.

That was exactly the issue! I decided to get it fixed professionally as the machine was otherwise perfect. Perfect heads, immaculate inside. Must have been very low hours.

I had always thought that the auto stop arm performed some kind of secondary tensioning role but now that I think about it more that really doesn't make much sense.

Beautiful machine! I see you have the earlier version with the stick shift, I have the slightly later revision with the push button logic controls that sit around and think about what button you've pressed for 5 seconds before actually doing anything!

It probably is for tensioning too since it does have a spring on the cam inside, but goes fine with it fixed in a halfway position. It's missing in the pic, but I bolted it back on.

The stop ffwd and rewind on this one are soft buttons,
but you have to move the lever first, quite funny.

I once bought a "lever" TEAC A2340 with the lever broken off. I had to push the remaining stump with my fingernail. Later I managed to solder an extension on to the lever and replace the knob. Never put one of those machines face down, they weigh a ton!